Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Left Turns

After a good night’s rest in Louisiana, MO, we crossed the Mississippi River and continued our trip back at Pleasant Hill, IL. We knew today would not be easy, but didn’t count on it being as tough as it turned out.In some places, our map has indicated we’d face a lot of hills. Today’s section made no mention of them. However, somebody decided to put them there, about 30 miles of them. Not the highest ones we’ve climbed on this trip, but they were endless. After the first hour or so, we came to realize we should dread left turns. When heading south down the river a left turn means you are heading up into the bluffs, not down into the flat bottom lands.We survived and eventually got to some flatter ground. We got to visit with some nice folks along the way and had lunch in Alton, IL at the 70 mile mark for the day. Our friend and business associate Roger joined us in Alton for 10 miles on the ride. He and his wife Bekki have generously supported this event, and it was a real treat to have him with us today.We had to really ride hard to finish the ride in Columbia tonight, but made it in before dark. Tomorrow is a rest day (shorter mileage) and we are back in my hometown of Chester. I’m looking forward to seeing my wife, sons, and other friends and family.